The Arizona champion., 1887-07-23
FIERCE FLAMES
' Compistely Destroy the Groat NH of the 1 Arizona Lumber Company.
\ Bulidlng and Plant Reduced to Ashe;
 Which Cost Nearly sIOO,0Oo.

was becoming dark, the residents of Flagstaff were startled by seeing a small column of flame arising from the location of the Arizona Lumber Company's mill. The flames soon spread and in a few minutes the darkening shades of night were bril- Iiantly illuminated by the flames which rapidly leaped into the air spreading light all over the surround ing country, The continuous sound- ing of the engine whistle and the clang of the church bell soon brought all the people to Railroad avenue, who were not already there, and a rush was made for Milltown, to fight the fire and help save the property. But long before the first man reached lhe scene of the conhAgration, the building in which the fire originated, and which contained the engines and machinery, was doomed and any ef- forts to arrest the flames would nave been futile; therefore the efforts of all present were directed to saving the other buildings and the lumber yard by cutting off the means by which the fire would spread.
 Fortunately the night was unusual ly still. Not breath of air was stir ring and during the afternoon heavy rain had fallen, which had completely saturated the lumber pIles and the connections between the yard and the burning building. The mill em- ployes who were on the ground aid cd by the Minersl Belt railroad men and others from the tie camps and the town, went 10 work with will under the direction of General A. A. Me Donell, and by tearing down a sec ton ot each of the two bridge gang ways one leading 10 the lumber yard and the other to the waste pile. the means by which the fire would have easily spread, were destroyed. An engine belonging to the Mlnera! Belt ra lroad company made its appear ance soon after the fire started aud hauled away all the Cars that could be moved, to point Of safety. Several cars loaded with lumUcr ready for shipment, which were standing under the chules on the east side were entirely destroyed with their contents; before they were reached tine wheels had ex banded 0y the intense heat and Il was impossible to remove the brakes.
 Had there been any Wind blowing the extent ot the disaster would have been enormous, as there are about forty buildings including blacksmltn shops, Commlssary, bul,utns, othcca and residences surrounding the one destroyed, as well as the log and lun. Der yards and an enormous Waste ,,ile. Under the favorable conditions which existed, notwithstanding the tact that the building Was a mass oI the most inh4mnaUlc material ,t.e Ic' structlve element was by hard hsn.lns aud the udlclous use ot the water al maud, coGfin=d to It's limits, even the lumber on tat loading platform noy.n of the mill was saved, although only one railway trac< separated It from anoluer platform adj dining the build ing.
 The caI5e of the fire Is mystery
 The nIgat watchman had passed tht point where It originated, not ten inmates before the fire Droke out, and he was In the engine house, part O
 the same building. when it was dls' covered. The work nen had lett fol the day and the machinery had beer stopped for more tilan two hours
 The only ire known to be near Wa: in the furnace of the boilers, and tho flames commenced in the opposlt, portion of the structure. Some think i
 was caused by mot box," but thl
 always produces an offensive odor
 which would have in all probability
 been noticed by the watchmAn wheg
 he passed ,hespot. '
 The probable cost Of the one build
 ing, with its machinery, was abou $50, 900, which, with the finished lumber stored in it, will foot up tn,
 loss to nearly Sloo. .ooo. The insurance
 carried on this portion oi the building
 Is understood to be less than $so, 900
 In the building was ponderous Izo
 horse power Fraser & Chalmer en zine, with a twelve.foot driving vince
 and four immense boilers. There wa
 also surfacers, moulders, flooring ant
 picket machines, rip and re saws ant every kind of machinery necessar. for the manufacture of flooring, sid ing, ceiling, rustic, molIlng and pick
 cts. The pianery department was mos.el in all of It's appointments ant furnished with all of the appliance
 to be found in a frst-class easter mill, all of which is entirely destroy ed. The mill had capacity of abou ) I3o, 900 feet d day and gave employ
 ment to about 200 men. Eb. an, Charley Greenlaw, who were runnin the mill on a contract, are consider able losers. MT. D. M. Riordan, tn
 manager of the company was in Chi caso at the time of the fire and T. A Riordan, the superintendent, hal gone to one of their branch mills a Belmont. But in their absence Gen } eral McDonell, A. A. Dutton, E and Chas. Greenlsw, the employees c the company and large number c the citizens of Flagstaff did all tha 2 cnnld rn.sihlx he dnna in 6nhfinn th